Kelly Thomas: Schizophrenic and on the Street

The death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man, following a violent confrontation with police in Fullerton garnered national attention this month as and witness cell phones surfaced.

For John Tischler, that footage strikes at his greatest fear.

Tischler is searching for his 30-year-old son, Shawn, who suffers from schizophrenia, and has been missing since May 26. Shawn left a board-and-care home in Pacoima, was taken into custody by Long Beach Police a month later near the Aquarium of the Pacific, and wandered away from the police station lobby. He had no identification on him, and “didn’t know who he was,” his father said.

Tischler worries about another encounter with police.

“I’m terrified the police will find him and terrified they won’t,” said Tischler.

For families struggling to keep a mentally ill adult relative housed and taking medication to control schizophrenia, the details of the Kelly Thomas case are painfully familiar and culminated in any parent’s worst nightmare. Particularly haunting is the fact that Thomas cried out, “Dad! Dad!” as Fullerton police officers surrounded and subdued him. The incident is equally troubling for police, who have to make split-second decisions while dealing with someone whose illness can make them unpredictable. In sometimes-dangerous situations, they have to distinguish the difference between psychosis and uncooperativeness.

Thomas, a 37-year-old schizophrenic man, died after police responded to a report of vehicle break-ins near the Fullerton Transportation Center on July 5. They attempted to search Thomas, who allegedly resisted. The confrontation became violent, and ended with Thomas in a coma. He was removed from life support and died five days later. The six officers involved in the incident have been placed on leave, and Fullerton Police   on Aug. 10. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the case, and the FBI is monitoring the investigation.

Thomas had a long history of mental illness, had cycled in and out of treatment programs and had been drifting on the street for years. At different times he was deemed unable to care for himself and placed under the conservatorship of the county as well as his father, a retired Orange County Sheriff’s deputy.

Thomas’ death has sparked outrage and focused attention on the plight of mentally ill, homeless people who fall through the cracks. His death has also raised awareness of the sorrow and stress faced by families of mentally ill adults.

Tischler knows firsthand the difficulty of trying to help an adult schizophrenic who may forget or refuse to take medication to control symptoms, or who may insist that he doesn’t need help. Since his son went missing, Tischler has spent days scouring the area around the Aquarium of the Pacific, nearby parks, and the homeless encampments along the Los Angeles River.  

“I was carrying a bag of clothes, hoping I would spot him again,” he said.

Tischler created a Facebook page and with photos of Shawn and contact information, and is pleading with the public for help. “If anyone sees him, take a cell phone picture and call 911,” he said. “Tell the paramedics he needs medical help.”

However, the sad reality is that even if Tischler or the police find Shawn and he refuses help, he cannot be forced to accept it. Under California Welfare and Institutions code section 5150, a person can be confined for three days only if he is deemed a danger to himself or others. Schizophrenic adults who meet the 5150 criteria frequently end up back on the street after the brief confinement, and the cycle of homelessness, uncontrolled symptoms, and erratic behavior begins again.  

Laura’s Law, approved in 2002, allows California counties to mandate outpatient treatment for mentally ill adults who have a history of arrests and hospitalizations. However, Nevada County is the only California county that has enacted the law. Orange County is considering adopting Laura’s Law in the aftermath of Thomas’ death. The law was named for Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old who was shot in Nevada County along with two others by a mentally ill person who had refused treatment.

After Thomas’ death, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) issued a statement calling for the City of Fullerton and its Police Department to conduct a thorough review of how officers are trained to interact with people who have serious mental illness.  

In Orange County, a two-day course called “Crisis Intervention Training for Law Enforcement—Understanding the Mentally Ill on the Street” is available through Golden West College. The course is not mandatory, but meets the requirement for continued professional training that all peace officers must have, said Ron Lowenberg, dean of the department of criminal justice at Golden West.

The Orange County Health Care Agency contracts with Golden West College to offer the course to police officers from cities throughout Orange County, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies, local college and university police forces, and probation officers.  

The course is also available to local fire departments, who are also frequent first responders in crises involving the mentally ill.

Taught by police officers and clinical psychologists, the course also includes a client panel composed of people who have been diagnosed with mental illness or their family members who have experienced contacts with police, Lowenberg said. The course objectives include improving participants’ crisis intervention skills and communication techniques with the homeless mentally ill population, and increasing their awareness of resources to help the mentally ill.

In contrast to a common misconception, violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia. People with this disease are not usually violent, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. People with schizophrenia who also have substance abuse problems, sometimes referred to as “dual-diagnosis patients,” may be more prone to exhibit violent behavior. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that there are 2.2 million schizophrenic adults in the U.S., 6 percent of whom are homeless.

When they join the force, Orange County Sheriff's deputies receive training on how to recognize signs of mental illness and how to respond. The Golden West training—which is optional—will be more detailed, however, said sheriff's Lt. John Meyer.

"I'm going to send my people," he said, of the police services department in San Juan Capistrano, which he heads up. He indicated that he believes most contract cities in South Orange County will likely do the same.

Officers responding to calls involving mentally ill people must determine if they are there to investigate a crime or to handle a disturbance, according to Los Alamitos Police Department Capt. Bruce McAlpine. A mentally ill person who is not a danger to himself or others at that moment can’t be detained or taken to a hospital to be evaluated despite that person’s previous history or what witnesses or family members may say, he added.  

“We recognize that sometimes someone may need help and may be suffering from mental illness, yet the law won’t allow us to take that person in,” he said.

More than 900 law enforcement officers from Orange County have completed the crisis intervention course since October 2008, the Health Care Agency reports. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment about current or future training for deputies who may respond to calls involving the homeless mentally ill.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENT BOX

Should the course on crisis intervention with homeless mentally ill be mandatory for all law enforcement personnel in Orange County?

Should Orange County adopt Laura’s Law, which would make it easier to mandate treatment for mentally ill adults?